There is no S in cougar
by Minne-My
Summary: Bernie is not impressed when she sees an older woman monopolising her son's time. But how easily can she be distracted?
1. Chapter 1

'I haven't had any body hair anywhere since the 90's. I'll let you check it out sometime.'

What a line to overhear. Serena was well used to hearing such things from her best friend but sometimes she wished she would just shut her mouth. She didn't need her young colleagues being traumatised as they went about their day. She sighed. Before she could reprimand her, she caught sight of one of her distant colleagues up from the ED turning around and staring in horror in their direction. Serena had heard rumours about Major Berenice Wolfe being a lesbian but she hadn't had a chance to find that out, what with working in different departments and crossing each other's paths only every so often. A few smiles over the Christmas party drinks table didn't count. They liked their coffee the same way, that she knew. Maybe it wasn't horror, maybe it was just being stunned by Sian's latest man magnets perkily bolted firmly to her chest. They had that effect on people. Maybe Major Wolfe was a lesbian and liked the fake Barbie girl look. Before she had a chance to ask, the woman in question whipped away and strode off. Serena frowned. She'd never seen Berenice Wolfe up here before.

* * *

_Bernie was furious as she ran down the stairs to the ED. She'd seen that woman around a few times and was horrified that she talked to her son that way. She hadn't wanted to embarrass Cameron but that was so unprofessional. She vowed to have a word with him about the staff in AAU. She didn't want him working there with such a predator on the loose. What did they call women like that nowadays? Cougars. She hated herself for sounding so priggish in her head, imagining what it would sound like out loud. Cam would laugh at her and tell her to stop embarrassing him. Her anger rushed in again at the thought of that woman teasing her son. She knew Cam, he wouldn't be able to resist. He was an incessant flirt and took every opportunity to jump into someone's knickers. It niggled away at her all day as she thought about what to say to him when they would see each other next._


	2. Chapter 2

'Calm down Serena. No need to go all headmistress on me. You'd better keep that for Bobbie.'

'It's Robbie and we are not together anymore. I need you to stop terrorising my junior staff.'

'Good. He was a prick and a half anyway. How about that handsome cup of coffee who lurks about the ward?'

'Sian, please stop referring to Ric Griffin as a hot strong beverage. He has quite the over-inflated opinion of himself, try not to make it worse.'

'You like it hot and strong though don't you Serena?'

Serena stiffened at Sian's sly smile over her gin and tonic. Sian never stopped encouraging her to behave badly and sometimes Serena wondered what her life would be like if she'd done and said every stupid thing Sian had done and said and how she would have gotten away with it. If she would be able to get away with it. Serena was considered outrageous as it was (and a constant embarrassment to her daughter) but Sian was on an entire other level. Luckily Sian had no one to embarrass but herself. It had been a week and Cameron Dunn had been walking around like a cock among the hens.

Sian excused herself to powder her nose and Serena was left to babysit the rapidly warming drinks. Absentmindedly playing with her pendant, she took no notice of the shrill tone permeating her thoughts until she realised that Sian was not going to hurry up soon. Her obnoxious ringtone was warbling some nightmare of a song that was probably in the top ten in the music charts. What that would be, Serena didn't know. She'd stopped being able to watch Top Of The Pops about twelve years ago once Ellie had taken charge of the remote control and since then she'd heard it had been axed. Snippets of the radio had made her none the wiser to what was cool these days. She didn't know what cool was even if it would slap her on the arse. Serena sighed and picked up the phone. Not her phone, obviously. She wouldn't have Mr Dunn on her contact list. Weren't the cool kids using WhatsApp these days anyway? She only had a handful of people to talk to on there anyway.

'Hello?'

* * *

_If Bernie had seen herself in the mirror, she would have laughed mirthlessly at her reflection. What kind of a crazy woman was she, rifling through her son's contact list and ringing the contact marked S? That woman had picked up the phone and she sounded…well, rather attractive. What Bernie had meant to say was, what the hell are you doing with my son? But all she could do was do an impression of that pervy stalker she'd had at med school, breathing heavily down the phone. Indignant breathing but rather heavy all the same. She felt like the idiot. Seconds went by and all she could hear was the repeated greeting and Bernie had hung up. What an idiot she was._


	3. Chapter 3

'You have some strange admirers,' Serena informed her friend. 'I answered your phone and all I heard was some heavy breathing. Rather indignantly I felt.'

'How on earth can someone sound indignant when breathing? Really Serena, you are an idiot sometimes.'

'That's what it sounded like' protested Serena, handing it back. Sian looked at the contact list and raised an eyebrow.

'I don't think it was him. I think it was someone else entirely.'

'Did you answer it the same way as last time?' Their favourite prank call line was when Serena answered the phone _'Battersea dogs' home, how can I help?' _It had never gotten old and failed to reduce them to tears of laughter. Sian would throw in a few barks while Serena would shout to an apparent colleague only to tell the other person that they hadn't got a dog called Sian there.

'Next time whoever it is rings again, I will.'

Sian mused about calling her latest conquest.

'He's keen.'

'He certainly is. Don't know how he has the energy to work and keep up with me.'

'Give him back to the ward without any scratches and bruises please, Sian' Serena warned.

'It depends on how hard he's willing to play.'

* * *

_Bernie knew she never should have meddled with Cam's phone. She was such an idiot. She vowed never to tell him about how stupid she'd been. How was she going to face this woman when she next encountered her?_


	4. Chapter 4

Serena's start to the day went rapidly downhill at 8.30am. She had only said hi to the woman and now she was being shouted at. Berenice Wolfe had even thrown a cup of cold coffee over her! What the hell was her problem?

She listened to the Major rant about someone being inappropriate (oh, it was her apparently), her son didn't need the distraction (from what she could see, Cameron Dunn needed no excuse to be distracted) and what kind of an unprofessional gesture…(hold on, what?). She had to interrupt there.

'Excuse me, I have no idea what you're talking about. I have not been flashing my plastic tits at your son as A, I haven't the slightest desire to do so, B, he's not my type and C, they are entirely natural. No plastic here, thank you very much.'

Serena folded her arms across her entirely natural chest and watched Bernie's eyes flick down and up to check that that her statement was true. With a huff, she accepted that it appeared to be.

'I don't appreciate you turning on me when I have never actually spoken to you properly before, nor had the knowledge that Cameron was your son.' Now that she knew that, she could see the resemblance. But how was she to realise whose son it was?

'I can't do my job and keep away from him, that would defeat the purpose of mentoring him.'

Bernie was starting to simmer down. But not entirely.

'He has your number on his phone.'

Serena frowned as Bernie gave the last few numbers of the mobile she'd rung.

'So that was _you?'_

She was interested to see the blush creep down Bernie's face to her chest. It was a rather attractive look. She was just about to switch to flirt mode when she realised that they were still in the middle of a fight.

'That's not my number, you silly mare.'

'Your name begins with S' Bernie hissed. 'It was in his phone.'

'Is that all you have to go by?'

A clatter of heels drew Bernie's attention to a figure behind the accused. A slinky figure encased in green satin who stopped to stare at them.

'I'm not the only one whose name begins with S.'

'There's nobody else on the ward who it could be. I heard you that day.'

'Er, mum, what are you doing?'

Cam was standing next to the woman in the background, looking bewildered.

'Your mother is accusing me of having an inappropriate relationship with you, Cameron' said Serena, not turning around. 'You could try this person, Ms Wolfe. Her name also begins with S.' She swivelled round to stare accusingly at her friend. The other woman snorted with laughter.

* * *

_Shit._

_How the hell had she got it so wrong? It wasn't S for Serena at all. How utterly stupid had Bernie been? She'd snapped at seeing Serena, hearing that casual 'hi' and had just lost it, shouting at her like a mad woman to keep away from her son. She'd even thrown her cup of coffee over her. She was mortified. _

_This glamorous slinky creature was called Sian, the one holding her son's bollocks by a manicured hand._

'_So sorry,' she was now saying, 'you got the wrong woman. Serena's got nothing to do with it. I'm afraid I'm the one you should have thrown coffee over.'_

_Damn right she was. Sian laughed as Bernie said so._

'_Mum, will you stop making a scene' Cam hissed, anxious that his overprotective mother would dismiss him as toy boy potential in Sian's eyes. Nobody needed to fend off a clingy mother. _

'_Oh Cam, she's just doing what mothers do' interjected Sian._

'_Not that you'd know' muttered Serena, taking off her ruined blouse._

_Despite the situation, Bernie's mouth twitched. Against her will she was warming very slightly to Serena._

_She really didn't know how to get out of this one._


	5. Chapter 5

'I still don't know how you got out of that one' muttered Serena. Somehow Sian had diverted the brewing crisis by introducing herself most charmingly and Bernie, stunned by the balls on this woman, had reluctantly shook her hand and mumbled an apology to Serena. Serena would have been more annoyed if she hadn't been blushing so fiercely which had rendered her so endearing, Serena had almost laughed. She didn't as it was quite rude to make someone die of mortification unless they deserved it and Bernie didn't. It was lucky that everyone hated this blouse, it could go in the rag pile to clean with.

'Looks like you found your next date' whispered Sian as they waited for the lift, Serena shivering in the cold air. Her camisole felt flimsy and exposing and she couldn't wait to get to her office and pull on the spare blouse she kept in the drawer. She learned her lesson from last time.

'Shut up Sian.'

* * *

_She had to capitulate at the risk of looking ungrateful. That Sian was the kind of woman to get away with murder and Bernie seethed about it for a minute before getting distracted by Serena taking her top off. She cursed herself for being so transparent and staring at her. _

'_Mum!'_

'_I said I'm sorry, Cam, what more do you want?' She said crossly._

'_Never talk to me again.'_

'_I know I embarrassed you but that's what mothers do' she snapped, too unnerved by the brief feeling of light headedness that had assaulted her brain when Serena took her top off. She must stop replaying that in her mind. Especially in public. She felt like the biggest idiot._

'_I'll give you a pass if you don't interfere in my love life again.'_

'_I don't even want to think about your love life, Cameron' she muttered. _

'_If you're not going to talk civilly to her, don't talk to her at all' he warned._

_She looked away, mouth pursed. She couldn't agree to that just yet._


	6. Chapter 6

'What did you mean by that?'

'What?'

Looks like I found my next date. What does that even mean?'

Sian looked at her friend in surprise.

'You've only just remembered? It's been a week since I said that. Didn't you see the way she was looking at you?'

'Major Wolfe?'

Of course, Major Wolfe! God, even her title sounds rugged and macho. She was looking at you like a hungry beast when you took your top off.'

'Shut up Sian.'

'I'd be into her if I were a lesbian.'

'Luckily for her you are not. You'd terrify the life out of her.'

'But you, you might be able to have a go. I bet she's all pent-up passion and raw lust under that strict severe visage.'

Serena sighed.

'How many times do I have to tell you, one kiss with a woman in Stepney does not make me a lesbian!'

Oops. Said it too loud. Every face on the opposite tables swivelled round to gawk at her. She vowed to slap the grin off Raf's face sometime this week. She'd give him some admin to do or something. She heard him whisper 'I knew it' to some random woman next to him, Serena had no idea who she was.

'It wasn't just one kiss though was it darling?' Said Sian slyly. There had been lots of kissing, some under the clothes groping. She would know, she'd been there. Back when Sian herself was a mousy creature with black rimmed glasses.

'Watch yourself before I share pictures of you au naturelle' warned Serena.

'I'm just pointing out that you could easily blow her mind.'

'I am not having you use me as a distraction while you shag her son senseless.'

'Don't say I'm never useful to you.'

'You are useful to me.' Serena held out her glass. 'Pour me some wine.'

* * *

_Dammit that slutty woman was right. Serena did have the power to distract her while Cam was getting laid. Serena was getting under her skin with her voice and her stripping (Bernie should offer to replace that hideous blouse) and she couldn't stop thinking about her for a week. Especially after Sian's revelation about Stepney. That only just made Bernie more interested. Right now, she was hiding behind a pillar pretending not to listen in. She supposed that it was only fair that it wasn't Serena seducing her son which would have made the whole situation utterly revolting because she really did fancy her. There was no denying that. At least in her head. Out loud, she would lie for England if questioned. She was in real trouble though because tonight she would be dreaming about being in Stepney (not that she'd ever been there) being snogged senseless by Serena. _

_Help._


	7. Chapter 7

'Don't worry about mum, she'll get over it.'

'Let's hope so' Serena muttered, face down in a large glass of Shiraz. Since the confrontation, Berenice Wolfe had visited AAU a few more times and had behaved politely, had not thrown any more coffee and had not said anything more about her son's relationship with a plastic titted hairless nymphomaniac. She was restraining herself admirably.

'She just needs to get a life' said Cam.

'Yes, where can she go to get one of those I wonder?' Mused Sian suggestively, looking at Serena. Serena huffed and rolled her eyes.

'Can you stop already?'

'Oh just show her your moves, she won't be able to resist' pleaded Sian. 'It's about time you got yourself a dirty weekend away.'

'Mum has a cottage in Wales' Cam said without thinking.

'Perfect. Wangle yourself an invite' said Sian triumphantly.

'And you think I should have a dirty weekend with her, do you?'

'Better her than Scary Sue from ITU.'

'Hang on. Am I missing something?' Cam interrupted. 'You're…?'

'No, nothing.'

'Serena you liar. She's always had one foot on the sapphic side' Sian explained.

'Once! Will you just let it go?'

'She bloody well likes you so get on with it and ask her out.'

'Chucking coffee over someone is not a seduction technique.'

'So, she needs some practice.'

'Actually…Sian's got a point' said Cam, thinking it over.

'No. No she does not.'

'It would be good for mum to date around, start to live a little. She's always been quite…'

'Repressed?'

'Shut up Sian.'

'Well, I suppose. She just doesn't know what to do with herself now that she's out of the army. She's trying her best.'

'I know where she could work out all of her extra energy.' Sian looked delighted.

'If you don't stop now, don't think I'll protect you from the Wolfe when she next attacks. It'll be your person on the line' warned Serena.

'Well she won't want to attack me when you can ravish you. She's got hungry eyes that one.'

'Not for me.'

'Only for you.'

'She prefers to be called Bernie' Cam interrupted. 'For future reference.'

'Very butch. Cam, darling. Make sure your mum gets Serena's number.'

'I don't have Serena's number.'

'I do. So make sure she gets it.'

* * *

_Did she feel more helpless before or after receiving Serena's phone number? She couldn't tell. All she could do was look the numbers until it blurred into a scribble. She couldn't do this. She'd barely ever dated in her life. She didn't know how to. She was better off in the army where there were very important things to do._

'_So why did you leave?' A voice behind her said. Bernie jumped. She hadn't realised she'd spoken out loud. She turned around to see the owner of the phone number approaching. Her brain went fuzzy._

'_Erm. I was invalided out.'_

'_That's must have taken a serious amount of deprogramming.'_

'_It did. My life completely changed.'_

_Serena looked sympathetic. Bernie didn't know how much to tell her. About the lonely nights and grey mornings, the way family photos ended up looking like a blur if she stared at them too long…she didn't know what was polite to tell anyone._

'_Do you want to go and get a coffee?'_

_Bernie looked at Serena who was smiling warmly at her. She didn't know why. Bernie looked like a goldfish._

'_I'll even throw in a pastry.'_

_Dammit._


	8. Chapter 8

She hadn't meant to go along with it, she was pissed off that they had given Bernie her number. But the woman had looked desolate and panicked and suddenly Serena couldn't help but feel for her. It had been a while since she'd gone on a date as well but it seemed to be a prospect that had terrified Bernie.

'Cam gave me your number.'

'I know. I told him not to.' Serena omitted any mention of the devil woman. Bernie was armed with a cup of hot coffee this time and she didn't want to take her chances.

The other woman looked wary, closed off. It was like watching shutters crash down.

'I behaved abominably towards you. There's no reason for you to want to talk to me.'

Serena leaned over and whispered, 'it turns out that nobody liked that blouse so you've done me a favour.'

Bernie looked up with disbelieving eyes. She looked rather like a startled bambi. Serena couldn't help but smile and all of sudden, the other woman matched it. She looked like sunshine peeking from a cloud. The change in her face was startling. Even more so was her laugh. Some sort of goose honk erupted around the café and Serena couldn't help but be charmed by it. She sat back and watched the transformation in the prickly Major. There was something really sexy about her. Serena didn't know what it was but there was something drawing her into her orbit and she cursed herself for falling into the trap the others had set for her.

But it was too late now.

* * *

_Good God, she had it bad for this woman. She'd made her laugh; Bernie hadn't laughed in weeks. _

'_Can I take you out to dinner?'_

_Oh lord, where had that come from? She'd offered to take Serena out to dinner. She couldn't handle that. Nor the surprised smile she got in return. It made her heart thump. She could hear it. She hoped Serena couldn't hear it. She felt like an idiot._

'_I thought you were out of practice?'_

_Bernie blushed at the teasing tone and folded her arms across her chest._

'_I am but I suppose I should take my son's advice and start getting out a bit more.'_

_The words filled her with a few inches of confidence. As did Serena's answer._


	9. Chapter 9

Sian had been thrilled to hear that Serena had surrendered to the inevitable and scored a date with her toy boy's mother.

'Less of this' she said, throwing Serena's scarf to the side. 'More of this' she said, tugging the neckline down and rearranging her cleavage.

'Will you stop, we're not going to the Ritz. I do not need you poking and grabbing at me. It's just an Italian restaurant.'

'A nice Italian restaurant.'

'Yes, a nice Italian restaurant.'

'With an extensive wine list.'

'Yes, with…a what? How do _you_ know?'

'I helped choose the place. Gave Cam a few options.' Sian looked ridiculously pleased with herself. 'She picked it straight away. Apparently she gets confused by too much choice so keep it simple.'

'Yes so why am I fussing with my outfit?'

Sian's answer annoyed her.

'Please don't wink at me like that again. We are not coming back to my bedroom for dessert.'

'You could go to hers.'

'Ok get out. You've done your bit and I think I'm fine to take it from here.'

'Don't pretend you're doing this under sufferance. I knew you fancied her.'

Try as she might, Serena couldn't argue with that.

* * *

_This place was a good pick. Not too much on the menu to decide on, leaving her less room for panic. She didn't know her son had such good taste. She tried not to think of Cam ensconced in a cosy nook with his aged girlfriend. She must stop being so bitchy about Sian but it was hard. The woman was old enough to be his mother. She pushed the thought away and ordered pasta. This was a classy place, not one that catered to her trash taste of pineapple pizza. Serena laughed when she said it._

_'You are revolting.'_

_'Does that mean our date is over already?' She joked._

_'Don't you dare leave. We're only just getting started.'_

_Bernie liked the sound of that. As well as the sight of Serena in a dress, with that neckline. Something that stirred her gay feelings up to a crescendo. Annoyingly, so had the view of her backside, framed elegantly in the dress. She didn't know where to look at first; she feared becoming overwhelmed by her carnal desires, a feeling that she had discovered late in life and had not managed to master control of yet. She vowed not to stutter or blush or stare awkwardly as she always ended up doing in the presence of pretty things. Or be abrupt. She did that sometimes when she liked a person. All of these things warned people away and she'd ended up her usual frustrated lonely self._

_But look at her now. She was on a date! She'd taken a bet with herself that she'd ruin it round about halfway in. It hadn't happened yet. _


	10. Chapter 10

'So it looks like we both misunderstood the situation.'

'Oh?' Bernie was in disbelief.

'When I saw you, I thought your focus was on Sian and her man magnets' Serena confessed.

Bernie spluttered her coffee over the tablecloth.

What?!'

Serena teased her a bit more.

'I hope you don't mind me asking but I'd heard that you were of the sapphic persuasion. It had crossed my mind that you liked the firm, airbrushed look.'

Bernie honked at her. It was quite a laugh, Serena marvelled.

'Serena, I am a menopausal woman, why would I want to look at plastic breasts?!'

Everyone on the next two tables turned around to stare at them. Bernie blushed slightly for being so loud. Serena failed to hide her smile.

'Just curious.'

'If I have a preference for breasts or plastic ones in particular?'

'Either.' Serena shrugged.

Bernie's inscrutable gaze slid to her.

'If you must know, I prefer a more natural figure.'

Her fingers slid up and down the stem of her wineglass and her gaze was so intent that Serena stayed silent. The memory of Bernie looking her up and down after she'd invited her to, made her spine tingle. Looks like she had the answer to her question. She took a spoonful of tiramisu and considered it as she ate.

'How long have you known?'

'It was a factor in my divorce. Something I had realised a few years ago, something I was very much ashamed of.'

Serena could tell that it wasn't something Bernie talked about very often.

'And now?'

'Now, not so much.'

'I'm glad of that. You should go for what you want.'

Bernie's lean back and slow switch to a dark stare made her catch her breath.

Woman+woman+nice Italian restaurant with extensive wine list= date of a lesbian nature.

At this time in her life, Serena thought _why not?_ She had nothing to lose.

* * *

_Serena's crooked smile made her shiver. These were impertinent questions she was asking but Bernie hoped that in answering, she was making it very clear to her dining partner where she wanted the evening to end up. She was out now; she could be as transparent as she liked. There was a reckless streak in her that backfired on her at times but tonight she was just too horny to care, Serena was the first woman in a long time that she had really fancied and she really did want to get her hands on those au naturelle breasts. She wasn't being subtle about it._

_She made do with stroking the stem of the wine glass to cool down her overheated senses. She almost stopped when she realised how suggestive it looked. Serena had stopped grinning at her and now looked thoughtful. Bernie knew she was staring and hoped it wouldn't come across as off-putting or desperate. Not that she wasn't. Oh no, Major Berenice Wolfe was desperate, more frustrated than she'd been in a while and she couldn't mess this one up, no matter how weird the situation was. If Serena wasn't interested (how she hoped she was), it would be yet another night with her trusty friend. A rather old friend but it did the trick. As long as she could still get batteries for it, it would last her. But Bernie yearned for some human contact, to feel someone's skin rub against hers, to feel like she was set alight with lust. __Having had a one-night stand with a cute anaesthetist a year ago, she wanted more._

_'You're not being subtle about this, are you?'_

_Serena had sussed her out. Bernie shook her head because it was beyond her powers of denial anymore. It was probably all of that wine glass stroking. Perhaps it had turned both of them on._


	11. Chapter 11

All of that wine glass stroking was really having an effect on her. If she couldn't get those fingers to do things to her before dawn, she wasn't worth her reputation.

Just as well she'd enticed her date over to her house for a second dessert. The first one was decadent enough but Serena had read Bernie's signals accurately and now the woman was lying on the sofa underneath her with a hand up her dress. Oh, it was heaven. Those long dextrous fingers stroking her way up her thigh while their mouths were engaged in some furious mouth to mouth resuscitation. Because after that missed beat where time stood still as they looked at each other, Bernie made a clumsy lunge at her that had backed her up against the wall, almost knocking over the contents of the shelf next to them but what did the object of her lustful affections care? Serena hadn't had a proper seeing-to for two years and she was looking forward to this one. Bernie's lips were the best thing she'd ever had on hers and she intended to make the most of it.

* * *

_Normally Bernie would have made an excuse to leave if her pent up desire was getting the better of her; after decades of reticence, her lust was starting to nibble at the cracks of her heart, trickling through once someone had lit the spark in her. She hadn't meant to rush into it but she felt like she was boiling over and Serena hadn't resisted. She'd even pushed her onto the sofa and continued assaulting Bernie's senses with lips made of sin. Bernie hadn't even realised that her hand was creeping up that pretty red dress but Serena was straddling her and all of a sudden Bernie wished she wasn't wearing such tight jeans. Serena's hand was up inside her shirt, stroking the skin on her chest, thumb dipping inside her bra and just as she met nipple and Bernie groaned, the door crashed open and two very bemused faces appeared. _

_For fucks sake._


	12. Chapter 12

'What the hell are you doing here?!'

To say that Serena was put out was an understatement.

'Oh I'm sorry, were we intruding?' Asked Sian accompanied by her grinning boyfriend.

'I'm changing the locks' warned Serena.

'Oh don't do that darling, we just wanted to come over for a nightcap and I didn't have any red wine left' wheedled Sian.

'Get the wine and get out' said Serena, no longer caring about her store of Shiraz. She'd been rudely interrupted from playtime with a sexy specimen and now she was too grumpy to recapture the mood. She sighed with disappointment and manoeuvred herself off Bernie.

'Sorry Bernie, normally I rely on my daughter to catch me at it but not this time' she joked half-heartedly.

'At least I'm not going to shout at you for being embarrassing' replied Sian from the kitchen.

'Well you're embarrassing me now so can you just?'

'Alright we're going.'

'Can you excuse me a minute?' Serena asked her date. She got a nod in return. She cornered Sian by the door.

'Whatever happened to ringing me to let me know of your gate-crashing?'

'I thought you'd still be out. Whatever happened to _don't you dare give her my number? _I obviously underestimated your willingness to the sapphic cause.'

* * *

_Bernie tried to shake her lingering arousal off and started to accuse her son of planning the attack._

'_No! Well, we wanted you to get out more. We thought you'd play hard to get but you made it way too easy for Serena.'_

'_Easy?' Bernie felt like she was being played for a fool. 'Serena's been experimenting with me?'_

'_No, mum. I just mean that you seem so resistant to communicating with people on a more personal level. We thought that if you'd met someone, you'd be happier, more open to saying yes to things.'_

'_All of you were planning this?' Bernie felt betrayed. _

'_It's not like that' interrupted Serena, coming back in the room. Bernie turned to face her, voice quivering._

'_I really liked you. I thought that we were on the same page tonight. But right now I feel like you've been trying to humiliate me.'_

'_What did you think I was going to do, record us having sex and post it online?' Serena looked severely pissed off now. 'Seriously Bernie, if that's what you think this is then no wonder you find it difficult to make friends. I get why you would be suspicious of my motives but there's no need to be. You weren't supposed to ask me out!'_

_Bernie took a minute to think about it. She didn't understand._

'_I was meant to ask you out' Serena explained gently. 'I wasn't going to ask you out for dinner until later, when we'd got to know each other a bit better. I did want to.'_

_Bernie could see Sian flash a triumphant expression behind Serena's back. She didn't know how annoyed she felt about it. Serena liked her enough to ask her out for dinner and that made her feel like a flicker of flame had been lit inside her, without knowing it, had even ignited their first kiss. Which had been incredible. She'd wanted it to last forever. But it was all ruined if this was all a set-up. _

_The silence went on as they all looked at her to speak. She did what she normally did._

'_I think I'd better go. I can't deal with this right now.'_


	13. Chapter 13

Sian could see how Bernie's decision had disappointed Serena. She didn't have the heart to gloat about how right she had been, not anymore.

'This never would have happened if you hadn't walked in. You've really pissed me off now Sian. As for you, I expect you to act professional.'

Cam nodded.

'Just leave. I'm fed up with both of you.'

'I didn't realise you liked her that much' protested Sian.

'She was starting to enjoy herself. I bet she hasn't been able to do that in a long time. And now she's going to retreat from human contact again and tell herself that she doesn't deserve to be happy.'

Serena was frustrated and annoyed at herself for allowing a wobble to invade her voice. She'd never wanted to make Bernie feel ashamed. The abrupt, closed off Major was finding it difficult to be open with her desires and feelings and tonight signalled a willingness to break out of her self-imposed confines. Only to be dashed by two bumbling idiots.

Cam was staring at her in confusion. He'd never thought about his mother that way. Serena was much more upset than he'd realised. He said his goodbyes and left.

* * *

'_Mum, she really does like you. She seems to think that you think you don't deserve to be happy.'_

_Bernie wondered how Serena had pounced on the root of the problem so quickly. 'She's right. __That's how I feel.'_

'_Why?' Her son's faith in her was touching, considering how she'd hurt her family with her request for a divorce, they hadn't seen it coming. Who'd want a lesbian for a mother? A woman who had pretended to be something she was not. She had made them a laughing stock in their circle, people who wouldn't even deign to look at her again. She had disgraced her family and she hadn't expected them to forgive her so easily. They hadn't. She felt like she'd gotten off lightly that after three years her son had decided to speak to her again. _

'_I don't know if it would have made a difference if I'd known and spoken up earlier but it made me so ashamed of my existence. What kind of a person was I to do that to you?'_

'_You snapped. You couldn't take it anymore' her son said gently. He'd had a long time to think about what his mother had done and why and now that he was older, he could understand it. 'I don't want you to be trapped into a life you didn't want to be in. It happened; it shook us all up, we've moved on. You can enjoy yourself now if you want to. And I do think you want to. You just need to let yourself. Serena's concerned about how you feel. You don't know how upset she is that you think this was just a game. We encouraged her to go out with you but it wasn't to humiliate you. We just wanted you to be happy.'_

_She suddenly felt tired. Wished she'd never asked Serena out. She told Cam she needed to think about it. _


	14. Chapter 14

Serena felt stupid for messaging Bernie, for thinking about her all day. There was no way she'd want to see her again. Serena felt defeated, yearning for the fire they'd started last night. Maybe it was just lust, maybe it was only destined to be a fling but they'd both wanted it. The devastated expression on Bernie's face had made it so much worse.

She looked at their WhatsApp screen and started typing again. Stopped. Deleted. Started again. Repeated it several times. She was still tapping when the door to her office opened and a voice interrupted her thoughts.

'So, last night. You didn't tell me about that woman in Stepney.'

Serena turned around.

'What?'

* * *

_Bernie had been driven crazy watching the dots appear and disappear on the screen. She still wasn't sure how to proceed after receiving Serena's message. She left it until the end of the day, waiting to see how she felt about taking the next step. Because she knew how she felt. She'd spent the rest of the night denying it but deep down she knew what she wanted. Serena had made her feel like she deserved to look at another woman without shame. _

_That was it. She'd made her wait long enough and now Bernie marched up to her office, wondering what she was going to say. _

_She'd said something rather strange once she'd faced her. Now she'd have to admit that she had listened in on that conversation._


	15. Chapter 15

She couldn't believe Bernie had started it off with that.

'How did you know about that?'

'I overheard' Bernie confessed.

'And you wanted me to spend time talking about some woman from 30 years ago at some house party I barely remember' teased Serena gently, wondering at the realisation that Bernie had come to talk to her in person. She was actually smiling at her, that shy sweet smile from the beginning of their date.

'Maybe I should have asked you more about yourself.'

'You know I'm divorced from Holby's biggest twit, is there much else you needed to know about my sexual history?'

'You did mention a policeman.'

'Oh yes, well the less said about him the better. Neither of them matter anyhow. You've been the only person I've been interested in for a long time. You intrigued me.'

There was that slight blush again.

'You made me feel like I was worth the effort.'

Serena confirmed that she was absolutely, worth the effort.

'Well, I enjoyed the attention' Bernie confessed.

'As you should. What you actually wanted to know was whether I wanted to kiss you.'

'Well, I got that answer.' Bernie's smile was smug as hell. Serena let her be. She was intending to bolster as much confidence as she could in the other woman. Confidence was sexy on her.

'We were also rudely interrupted and I'm quite keen to get back to that, if that suits you.'

Bernie's answer was to stroll over to the blinds and pull them shut. Serena patiently waited for her next move and was rewarded with being swept up in her arms to be thoroughly kissed in a good old-fashioned way.

* * *

_Bernie was enjoying playing the gentleman. She'd never got to do that before. What liberation! She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She wrapped herself tight around a woman those fingers were already circling around her shirt collar, ready to slip through to her skin and spin her senses upside down._

'_Ha!'_

_The door flung open and those two very irritating people were back. Only this time Bernie and Serena didn't let go._

'_We knew it!' Sian announced. _

'_No workplace romance allowed, I recall you saying' Said Cam smugly, grin plastered to his face. Bernie wanted to smack them. _

'_Get out.'_

_Serena's orders made them shuffle out but not quietly. They could hear their laughter all the way out of the ward._

_Serena looked at Bernie._

'_Go home and pack a bag, I'm booking us into a hotel tonight. No excuses, Major.'_

'_None here.'_

'_Shut up and kiss me.'_


End file.
